Seven persons, including a local AIADMK leader, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a DMK functionary at Madipakkam in Chennai. Police said that AIADMK leader Radhakrishnan, who was picked up from the Samayapuram toll gate along with his driver late night on Thursday, February 3, is suspected to be the main accused in the murder of DMK worker C Selvam.

The arrested, identified as Radhakrishnan, the secretary of the AIADMK Amma Peravai in Tuticorin, his driver Dhanaseelan, Vignesh, Bhuvaneswar of Pallavam road, Sanjay (21) of Vyasarpadi, Vignesh (26) of Arkonam, Kishore Kumar (21) of Tiruvallur, are in police custody. Sources in Medavakkam police told IANS that the interrogation of the seven is on and that property dispute is stated to be the main motive behind the crime.

Forty-eight-year-old Selvam was hacked to death by a gang while he was conversing with his friends on Tuesday, February 1 night at Bazar road in Madipakkam. The assailants reached the area in a car and two bikes and hacked Selvam to death.

Selvam was the DMK secretary of the 188th ward in Rajaji Nagar. Police rushed to the spot after the attack and took him to a private hospital, where he was declared to have been brought dead. Tension prevailed in the area since then. After Selvam’s death, local residents gathered around Selvam's home, and his agitated supporters broke liquor bottles and threw them on the road. Police barricaded the area to prevent further escalation of violence and damage to property.

Selvam and his wife Shameena were to be allocated seats in the urban local body elections, and this was initially suspected to have been a possible reason for the attack. Police also said they were looking into disputes involving real estate dealings which could have beena motive for the murder.